Sealed container



Patented Sept. 8, 1953 SEALED CONTAINER Ransom C. Ellsworth, Rittman,Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Boxboard Company, Rittman, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio V Application May 8, 1950, Serial No.'160,715

1 Claim.

This invention relates to paper receptacles, and it has specialreference to a container made of paperboard material and which, due toits structural characteristics. may be opened for access to the contentsand reclosed to protect such contents.

One object of the invention is to provide a container, especially of thetype referred to, which, due to its construction, is capable of beingset up for use and filled with a commodity to be packaged, and thenclosed and sealed by presently accepted practice and by known packagingmachinery, and which has certain structural features, as will laterappear, whereby the closing and sealing operations are made morepositive and efficient.

Another object is to provide such a container having structuralcharacteristics, particularly in relation to the means for sealing it ininitially closed condition for sale, as will make readily evident topurchasers and others the fact that the seal has been broken, when suchis the case.

The invention comprises, broadly, a container made of paperboardmaterial cut, scored and folded to produce a bottom, side and end wallmembers upstanding from the bottom, and a cover member hingedlyconnected to the upper edge of one of said side wall members andcarrying a tuck-in flap at its free edge opposite the hinge connection,this tuck-in flap being adapted for cooperation with the other side wallmember to hold the cover member in closed condition, the said tuck-inflap and the side wall member with which it cooperates being providedwith coacting means for sealing the flap, and hence the cover member, inclosed condition and furnishing a medium whereby the sealing operationmay be facilitated and the seal readily broken and the cover thereafteropened and later re-closed, unsealed but in apparently relativelyundamaged condition, all as will be ex plained hereinafter more fullyand finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated, Fig. l is a planview of the exterior surface of a blank suitable for production of thecontainer of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thecontainer in assembled, set-up condition before it is sealed by closingthe cover over the contents; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thecontainer in closed and sealed condition; Fig. 4 is a. view similar toFig. 3 but illustrating the manner in which the seal may be broken, andFig. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the operation upon the containerof the invention of one form of conventional compression conveyoremployed for holding the adhesively secured cover and tuck-in flap inclosed and sealed condition during the setting period required for theadhesive.

The container blank, Fig. 1,'comprises an integral sheet of paperboardmaterial cut and scored to provide a bottom I defined by folding scores2, 3, 4 and 5, a front side wall member 6 defined by folding scores 2, Iand 8, a back side wall member 9 defined by folding scores 3, [0, II andi2, similar end wall members l3 and I l foldable from the bottom on thescores 4 and 5, respectively, and a cover member 15 hinged to the backwall member 9 upon the score l2. The side wall members 6 and 9 areprovided with pairs of glue laps l6 and l! foldable upon scores I, 8 andI0, II, respectively, and the free or upper edges of the end wallmembers [3 and I4 carry glue laps I8 foldable upon appropriate scores I9so as to ofistand inwardly of the container.

The cover member [5 is provided at its free edge opposite the hingescore [2 with a tuck-in flap 20 foldable relatively to the cover memberupon a score 2i, and having cuts 22 extending inwardly from the free'edge of the flap and terminating short of the folding score 21 to form atongue member 23. The front wall member 6 is formed with a, series ofrelatively spaced cuts or perforations 24, but preferably of cuts whichextend only part way through the paperboard material, to provide afrangible portion 25 substantially conforming in outline and area withthe tongue portion 23 of the tuck-in flap 20, and these cuts orperforations merge into the free, or top, edge of the said front wallmember in slits of substantially the same length as the spaces betweenthe termini of the cuts 22 of the flap 20 and its folding score 2|, allas shown in Fig.

In assembling the container from this flat blank, so that it is inset-up condition for use, the front and back side wall members 6 and 9,and end wall members I3 and [4 are bent upon their respective foldingscores 2, 3 and 4, 5 into position substantially at right angles to thebottom, and the glue laps l6 and ll of the side wall members are bentinwardly upon their scores I, 8 and 9, l0 and adhesively secured to theadjacent inner surfaces of the end wall members l3 and M, as partiallyshown in Fig. 2. All of these operations may be performed by knownautomatic -m a.chinery. Thus the container is 3 in condition to befilled with the commodity to be packaged.

After the container is filled, the laps 18 on the upper edges of the endwall members 13 and Hi are folded inwardly upon their respective scores[9, the cover member I5 is folded downwardly upon its hinge score I2 andthe tuck-in flap is engaged with the front wall member 6 in such amanner that its tongue portion 23 overlies the frangible portion 25 ofthe said front wall member 6 and its parts which flank the tongueportion are inserted inwardly pf and in face to face contact with suchwall member, and the cover member is sealed-irithis closed condition aswill now be explained. Itwill be noted, moreover, that when the coverflap is thus positioned, Fig. 3, the portion of the flap above thetermini of the cuts 22 will slide into the slits into which the cuts orperforations 24 of the front wall merge, thus providing for frictionalengagement of the flap and front wall and affording a relatively rigidassembly of these parts.

When the exterior of the container blank is printed, especially when itis color-printed all over, a glue or adhesive repellent ink or colormedium may be employed, in which case spotgluing of the tongue portion23 of the tuck-in flap and of the laps H3 at the upper-edges of the endwall members 13 and 14 may be provided for by leaving areas unprinted,as indicated by the broken-line outlines 26 and 21, respectively. Thistreatment of the parts enables the use of strip-gluing rather thanspot-gluing machinery in application of the adhesive and is the mosteconomical procedure.- However, when the type of printing or coloringreferred to is not employed and the major portions of the containerparts are receptive to adhesive, spots of gluema'y be applied in theareas indicated by the'brokenline outlines 26 and 21. In either case, itwill be noted that although the glue or adhesive is applied in amanne'r'adequate to seal the cover member in closed condition, itspredetermined location with 'respect'to the parts, as'shown (26, 21)Fig. 2, is such as to make breaking 'of the seal 'and opening of thecover member, and its'reeclosing, possible as intended.

Having reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that, when'thecovermember is closed and sealed, the sealing will be effected by a,spot of adhesive 26 located between the frangible portion of the frontwall member 6 and the tongue portion 23 of the tuck-in flap 2D, and alsopreferably, although not necessarily, by the spots of adhesive 21between the end laps l8 and the cover member. It will be noted,moreover, that the spots of adhesive 21 on the end laps are so locatedas to be somewhat remote from the tuck-in flap.

Hence, assuming that spots of adhesive are employed upon the end laps l8as well as upon the frangible portion 25 of the front wall member 5, itwill be understood that when the tongue portion 23 of the tuck-in flap2!] which overlies the frangible portion 25 of the front wall member isdistorted by pressure applied inwardly (Fig, 4), the seal afforded bythe adhesive between this tongue portion of the tuck-in flap and thefrangible portion of the front wall member will cause the frangibleportion to be broken away and the flap bent inwardly, and the cover maybe raised sufliciently to furnish a good purchase for breaking the sealafiorded by the spot-gluing of the end laps 18 with the cover member.

This unsealing and opening of the container may, moreover, beaccomplished without appreciable damage to any of its parts, inasmuch asa clean breaking away of the adhesively attached parts will result.However, once the sealing of the parts has been broken, this fact willbe apparent by inspection of the parts, and hence the container is of apilfer-proof nature.

After the container has been opened it may be desirable to close itagain, say in case the contents have been only partially used, and thismay be done by closing the cover and restoring the tuck-in flap to itsoriginal position, as shown in Fig. 3, but in unsealed condition. Herethe frictional engagement afforded by the wall edges constitutingportions of the aforesaid slits and the portion of the tuck-in flap 2!]between the cuts 22 and the folding score 2| thereof will aid in holdingthe cover re-closed (see Fig. 4)

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the interengaged relationshipof the tuck-in flap'ZO, the tongue portion 23 and the portions of thefront wall member 6 flanking the frangible portion 25, is of materialadvantage in theoperation of sealing the container. Obviously, where, inconventionally formed containers, the entire tuck-in flap is insertedbehind the side Wall member, pressure applied to the four surfaces ofthe container, and particularly to its vertical surfaces, in the senseillustrated, by the closely engaged walls of the restricting tunne1formed by the synchronously travelling belts a, this pressure would havea tendency to force the tuck-in flap inwardly away from the inner faceof the side wall member and thus break the adhesive bond between theseparts. However, with the parts interengaged, as shown in Fig. ,3, andparticular 1y with the cooperation of the uncut portion of the tuck-inflap engaging the slits at the termini of the cuts or perforations 24,and with the tongue portion 23 overlying the frangible portion 25 of thefront wall member 6, and to which it is adhesively secured, the tendencyfor separation of the parts under the applied confining pressure isovercome and sufficient stiffness is imparted to the interengagedelements to Withstand undue distortion and thus insure proper attachmentof the parts during the setting'period of the adhesive.

It will be understood that the pressure applying device of belt form, asshown, is merely'illustrative of the general concept of devices of thischaracter, and that the feature of resistance to pressure as embodied inthe carton or container construction of the invention will function re?gardless of the type of pressure applying apparatus employed. 4

Various changes and modifications are considered to be withintheprinciple of the invention and the scope of the following claim,

What is claimed is:

In a paperboard container, a. bottom, a front Wall member, a back wallmember, and similar end wall members, all upstanding from said bot tom,and a cover hinged to said back wall member and carrying at its edgeopposite said hinge a tuck-in flap defined from the cover by a foldingscore, said flap having laterally spaced cuts extending inwardly fromits free edge and terminating short of said folding score, said cutspro: 'viding a tongue portion between them, the front wall member havingadjacent to its upper edge means defining a frangible portion ofsubstan;

tially the same area as said tongue portion, said defining meansincluding slits of a length inwardly from said upper edge substantiallyequal to the distance from the termini of the cuts in said flap to saidfolding score, said cover when in closed condition having the portionsof its tuck-in flap flanking its tongue portion inserted inwardly of andin face to face contact with said front Wall member, its tongue portionarranged outwardly of and overlying and secured to the frangible portionof said front wall member, and the portion of said flap lying betweenthe termini of said cuts and said folding score in engagement with saidslits, the secured arrangement of said tongue portion and frangibleportion thus providing a means whereby by the exertion of inwardlydirected pressure upon the tongue portion the said frangible portion maybe separated from said front wall member and the cover opened, RANSOM C.EILSWORTI-I.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 1,152,355 Sutton Aug. 13, 1915 10 1,673,426 TinsleyJune 12, 1928 1,988,582 Weiss Jan. 22, 1935 2,199,204 Levkofi Apr. 30,1940 2,345,486 Leebov Mar. 28, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number CountryDate 331,146 Great Britain June 26, 1930

